Sweet Serendipity
by quaintcomfort
Summary: The year is 2013 and two young girls find themselves thrown back into the time of the 1960s. A little bit weird? Yes. Finding out that you're smack-dab in the middle of your favourite book? A little bit insane. Jane & Lottie do their best to fit in and even make some new friends along the way. Will they be able to keep their secret for long? Or will shit hit the fan?
1. Chapter 1

Janie's POV

I slammed my gym locker shut. I had just barely finished putting on my clothes. I sighed. The start of high school wasn't as elegant as I expected it to be. But on the bright side, I had at least four classes with my best friend.

I glanced over at her. She was finishing lacing up her Steve Madden boots, biting her lip and narrowing her eyes once the one minute bell rang. Our last and final class was English, and I really didn't want to be late. I hated having P.E. We only had 5 minutes to shower and get dressed. I just chose not to shower. Lottie and I hardly did anything anyway.

I grinned when Lottie stood up. She glanced at me and smiled, fixing her hair. I envied her - it was long, blonde, and thin so it was easy to style. Mine was a darker brown, thick, coarse, and heavier so it made it harder for me to style and made me sweat more during gym because it wouldn't stay up in buns or ponytails long enough.

"You didn't have to wait for me," Lottie said as we quickly rushed to our last period. It was upstairs and practically all the way across the school. I spotted a lot of other kids rushing to their next periods. I grinned at her.

"Well I wanted to. You would've done the same for me," I added as we quickly ran up the stairs. We zoomed down the hall and finally reached English class. We were panting from running and being out of shape, and almost all of the seats were filled. I glanced up at the board - the projector was illuminating a seating chart. I grinned when I saw that Lottie was sitting right behind me. But my grin faded when I realized who sat near us.

My ex-crush, Jordan Porter was sitting in front of me, whilst my guy friend, Michael Terrence to my right. The only awkward thing about it was that my other ex-friend, Marie Drake had told me that Michael and Jordan both liked me, but then she ended up saying that Jordan didn't really like me and that Michael was head-over-heels in love with me. So it was kinda awkward.

I took my seat, biting my lip as I took off my bag and set it down next to my chair. The others took their seat and I tried not to snap a stinging retort at Jordan when he scowled at me. Michael on the other hand made eye contact and grinned at me and turned around to talk to his other friends.

Lottie tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to look at her and she gave me an awkward smile. It basically said 'don't let that jerk get to you, he isn't worthy of your attention.'

I sighed, nodding and giving her a look that said, 'thanks, I know.' I then turned back around, resisting the urge to stab Jordan's head with my pencil. Instead, I gripped it tightly and tried not to act abnormal as our new English teacher, Ms. Collins, began teaching.

I practically dozed off during the lesson, daydreaming about a different life. Not like I didn't like living in the 2013s, it's just that I wish I was born in the 1960s. Sure, back then they had troubles with smoking, and drinking and all, but at least there wasn't anything creepy like internet pedos and stuff like that. I sighed, looking to my left. A window was nearby and I found myself gazing lazily at it.

Not only did I adore the 1960s because of how "tuff" it was, but because of the lovely book _The Outsiders_. A lovely novel written by S.E. Hinton. It really is a work of art. I remember reading it in 8th grade with the rest of my class. At first I found it boring - just the name of it bored me - but once I started reading it, I found myself ahead of my class.

Never underestimate the saying, "never judge a book by it's cover", because it honestly is true.

Ms. Collins was going on about something I wasn't really sure about - maybe what we were gonna do for the rest of the week? - while I was still in my daydream. I looked over my shoulder and saw that Lottie was leaning down in her desk, using my back as a shield to hide that she was reading during class. I smirked, then turned back around. That was so Lottie.

I also gave up on paying attention when Jordan began to purposely block my view. He used to be one of the shortest kids in our grade in 7th and 8th, but apparently he got his growth spurt during summer because now he was like a towering building in front of me. I tried leaning to the left, but he'd look over his shoulder at me, smirk, and then lean to the left to block my view. I'd lean to the right, and he'd purposely lean to the right to block my view again. It got really annoying after a few minutes, so I just decided to give up.

I hate him. I don't understand why I ever liked him to begin with. I narrowed my eyes, huffing irritably and leaning back in my chair. Something poked my right shoulder blade and I saw Lottie hand me a note. I casually took it when Ms. Collins wasn't looking and opened it;

_**Class is almost over in 2 minutes. Meet me at my locker? My dad said he'll drive us home today. :) love you!**_

I looked back at her and grinned, nodding, and looked at the clock. She was right. Exactly 2 minutes left of school and we'd get out soon. I bit my lip, leaning forward, resting my cheek on my hand. The longer I stared at the clock, the slower the second hand seemed to be moving - and it was supposed to be the faster hand too! I groaned inwardly, resisting the urge to shout at the clock to hurry up. My gaze flickered towards the back of Jordan's head and my fingers grazed my pencil. I pulled my hand back when Jordan shifted position in his chair.

It was so tempting to stab his head. His dirty blonde hair was styled differently than usual - slightly wavy, but this time the haircut was better than usual. And he had lifted up his front bangs so it looked sort of like a quiff in a way. I rolled my eyes and huffed, blowing out as I entertained myself with a loose strand of hair. It flew up in the hair when my blown out hair would hit it. It was actually entertaining.

With one minute of class left, a note fell on my desk. I glanced down at it, and opened it. It wasn't from Lottie;

_**It's fun to watch you make different facial expressions. :) something wrong? maybe I could help ;)**_

I furrowed my brow. It wasn't from Lottie, and surely wasn't from Jordan. I glanced over to my right. Michael was focused on the last few minutes of the presentation. He ran a hand through his light blonde hair and then his gray-blue eyes flickered towards me. He smirked when he made eye contact with me and his gaze went from me, to the note, to me.

I gave a small smile, then turned the note over, writing;

_**Nah, everything's good. And thank you, I worked hard to get my face to look those ways. **_

I folded the note up and then tossed it onto his desk. He grinned, opening it and reading the message. He looked back at me, about to say something when the bell rang. Immediately everyone emerged from their desks as if there were a hurricane brewing outside. I gathered my stuff, slinging my bag over my shoulder. I looked around to see Lottie quickly bookmarking her spot in her book she was reading _The Mortal Instruments. _I rolled my eyes. "Isn't that your fifth time rereading it?" I asked her.

Lottie looked up, huffing. "So what if it is?" she asked. "You've never even touched the first book of this series, so you're not one to talk."

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "Oh, I'm sorry," I started as we began to walk out of the classroom. "I'll be sure to check it out at the library next time."

"That's what you said last time," Lottie groaned. "And then you insulted the picture! So what if the dude is shirtless! Don't judge a book by its cover!"

I laughed. Was it coincidental that I was thinking about that saying earlier? "Fine, fine, I promise the next time we go to the library, I will check it out."

We exited the classroom, walking down the crowded halls to mine and Lottie's lockers. Since our last names began with J and L, our lockers were pretty close. I left Lottie at her locker, and headed to mine. I pulled out my math binder, then closed the locker, heading back towards Lottie's. She grinned at me, taking out her math binder as well. First day of school and we already got our gym clothes and had to do athletic stuff, and we had math homework. Luckily I had both P.E. and math with Lottie, so it was fine.

"My dad just texted me that he talked to your mom and she said it's fine that you come over to my house for a little while," she said as we began walking towards the exit. "My dad's gonna be a little late though since he's coming and getting us right after his work."

I shrugged. "It's fine," I said.

Lottie sighed as we walked into the fresh salty air of Utah. She groaned. "Ugh, sometimes Utah is lovely, and then other days it stinks like horrible pollution."

I sniffed the air. It was salty, and mucky. Obviously coming from the lovely Great Salt Lake. I nodded in agreement. "It's terrible. I hate it when the air smells like this."

We sat on the steps of the school, waiting for Lottie's father. Almost all of the kids were gone, and his car was nowhere in sight. I groaned, leaning back on my hands. The sun was in my eyes and I squinted. I saw kids walking back to their homes, and others getting into their cars.

"Lottie, when exactly does your dad's work end?" I asked.

Lottie shrugged. "Soon," she answered.

I looked at her. "You're telling me that you don't know?"

"Sorry! But Dad texted me that he would be early this time!"

"Lottie, tell me, how early is early for your Dad?"

Lottie groaned. "I'm really sorry, Janie. We should've carpooled with your mom."

I shrugged. "It's fine. At least your dad doesn't yell at us to finish our homework straight away."

Lottie nodded. "Yeah."

Silence followed. We were practically the last ones on school grounds. Except for teachers, and maybe a few students staying in late for after-school tutoring. I sighed, getting up. Lottie looked at me. "Where are you going?" she asked as I started for the school door.

"Back inside. I left my book in my locker. I want to be able to read something while we wait," I said, heading into the building. I heard Lottie's hurried footsteps behind me as she rushed after me. I reached my locker, doing the combination and opening it. I took the book, then turned to Lottie, who gave me a look.

"Really?_ Outsiders?_ _Again? _Are you kidding me?" Lottie asked as we headed back outside. I looked at her, glowering as I sat back down and opened the book.

"It's really good! Not like you would know," I huffed irritably. Lottie sighed.

"It just doesn't look interesting..."

"Who's the woman that just told me "Don't judge a book by its cover."?" I demanded, laughing slightly, looking up from the first page to give her a disappointed look. "I expected more from you, Lottie, I honestly did."

Lottie groaned. "I just don't want to read that book, is my opinion really that invalid?"

I laughed, then pretended to be angry at her again. "Yes, because now I'm not going to read _The Mortal Instruments!"_

Lottie gasped, looking at me as if I had just kicked an innocent puppy into the road. "What's your problem? _The Mortal Instruments_is the best!"

"I won't read it until you read the _Outsiders,__"_ I retorted, smiling defiantly. Lottie huffed irritably, and crossed her arms over her chest, glowering at me.

"You're incompetent and impossible, you know that right?" she told me.

I shrugged, looking back at my book. "I know. Which is why you love me!"

Lottie groaned. "Sure."

I looked at her, hitting her with my paperback book. "Shut up!" I laughed. "You know I am your best friend!"

Lottie sighed, "Sure."

I glowered at her. "Not funny."

Lottie smirked. "Sorry that my sense of humor is too collaborate for you to understand."

I huffed. So if this was a competition about the finest vocabulary, I will prove her wrong! "I'm sorry, but you seem to not be understanding me. After all, I do use gargantuan idioms to fabricate intelligence." I smirked once I saw Lottie glare at me. I had to teach her what those words meant since she didn't really know. She had gotten her enormous vocabulary from reading a dictionary in her past time. I got it from reading dictionaries, writing stories, and reading regular books.

When almost everyone was out, Lottie's father appeared with his car. He honked at us, gaining our attention, and we quickly gathered our stuff and clambered into his car. He looked over the seat, grinning at us. "Heyy! Janie!" He held his hand out for a high-five and I high-fived him. He grinned even wider. "You girls got homework?" he asked as he started the car and began driving.

"Yeah," responded Lottie. She was fiddling around with her backpack. Probably stuffing her math binder back into it. I did the same thing, then sighed, leaning back in the chair, watching as the familiar trees and buildings flashed by. Lottie lived closer to the school than I did, so we were at her house at no time. We immediately went to it, and walked inside. They never locked their door.

We immediately went upstairs to their "loft", as Lottie likes to call it. It's kinda like an attic, but it's not really. It has their tv, wifi, and computer where Lottie and I would play Sims and eat junk food. The good old days.

I groaned, plopping down on the sofa in front of the tv and throwing my backpack to the floor. My _Outsiders _book fell with a loud thud, and I winced, picking it up immediately. Lottie looked at me, her jaw agape.

"How dare you drop a book?" she exclaimed. Lottie and I were major bookworms - Lottie more than me though - and she shook her head.

"Oh, so now you care about the _Outsiders _huh? Will you read it now?" I asked, waving the book in front of her face. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she said, plopping down next to me. "Read me the first page, and I'll see if it's interesting."

I groaned. I don't know why Lottie liked reading books aloud, but it's not like we were 2nd graders. We were in the 9th grade. We could read by ourselves. But I didn't to challenge her - at least she was finally showing an interest.

I opened the book to the first page, then cleared my throat;

_"When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I only had two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..."_

* * *

I groaned, opening my eyes. Bright light shone in from the curtains. I shook my head, sitting up. I looked to my left and saw a twin bed, with Lottie in it. My eyes widened. I didn't remember her attic having twin beds. I immediately started panicking. I looked down and noticed my attire. It wasn't the previous green tank top with a deer picture on it, denim vest, and olive-green skinny jeans I was wearing before. Instead, I was wearing a simple white button-up blouse and regular blue jeans with a brown belt. I went over to Lottie, shoving her off the bed.

"Wake up!" I screamed in her face. Her eyes snapped open.

"What? Janie? Huh?" she exclaimed, looking around. "This is not my house!" she exclaimed. I noticed what she was wearing - a paler pink blouse with a khaki skirt that went down to her knees and sandals. I was wearing similar sandals.

"Obviously," I stated. I looked around. It appeared to be a motel room. Before Lottie and I moved, the door opened and revealed a middle-aged woman and her daugher. Her eyes widened and she glowered at us.

"Get out!" she screamed. Lottie and I cringed at her tone, and quickly ran out. I felt her handbag hit my back harshly as we scrambled into the hallway. We fell to the ground, and behind us the woman slammed the door shut. I shook my head. We were definitely in a motel. I spotted somebody walking by. A boy with slicked back black hair and white shirt, with a dark black leather jacket and faded dark blue jeans. He hadn't noticed us and walked right on - whistling and snapping to some sort of tune in his head.

"Where the_ fuck_ are we?" Lottie asked.

I bit my lip. I wanted to say a motel, but I thought about it. The way that the boy had dressed and the woman before, acting so hostile... It couldn't be the 1960s. We were in 2013. Lottie's father must be playing some joke on us. He'll come out of one of the rooms and say, "Happy early April Fool's!" Or something stupid like that.

"Please don't say Tulsa, Oklahoma," Lottie moaned, as if reading my mind. I looked at her.

"You honestly think we're still in Utah?"

"I hope we are!" Lottie exclaimed. "I still have homework to do! And I have to feed my dogs... oh my goodness... and my baby hedgehog! Violet! I forgot to clean her cage and refill her food dish! We have to get back!"

I looked at her. "We have to find out where we are first," I stated. I looked around, then pointed to the front desk. "We can ask him."

Lottie stood behind me. "I'd rather not..."

I looked at her. "Why not?"

"Well... he's fat... and he looks like a pedophile..."

"Lottie!"

"What? I don't want to go hanging around a pedophile! Let alone talk to one! I'm too hot for him anyway! I'm too hot for anyone!"

I rolled my eyes. Yep. Still same old Lottie.

"Fine, I'll go," I concluded, walking forward. I felt Lottie tug on my arm, pulling me backwards.

"No! I'm not risking you to be pedo bait! This might just be a dream!"

"Uh huh... I doubt it."

"But I swear it could be... Quick! Punch me in the boob!"

I gave her a look. "Excuse me?"

Lottie pointed to her chest. "Punch my boob. It'll help wake me up."

I shook my head. "No thank you," I said, raising my hands. "Now, I'm going to go talk to the front desk man, unless you want to-"

"No! Janie!"

I sighed. "Fine, we'll ask someone when they come out of their room." As if on cue, the man walking before peered his head out of his room. He spotted us, then narrowed his eyes.

"Could you broads put a can in it?" he demanded.

"Wait, sir, could you tell us where we are exactly?"

Slick-haired boy looked at me as if I were stupid. "You don't know where ya are?" he asked, an Oklahoman accent betraying his ancestry.

"Yeah..." my voice trailed off when I realized how stupid I sounded.

"You're in Tulsa, Oklahoma," was his response. He looked back into the room. "I'm trying to sleep, so please keep quiet!" He glowered at us again before slamming the door shut. From the noises coming within the room, he obviously wasn't sleeping. And he obviously wasn't alone.

_"Dear Lord!"_ Lottie screamed, grabbing a hold of my hand and dragging me off. My arm felt like it was being pulled out of it's socket, but we were finally outside and greeted by the town. I spotted an old movie house, and more people wearing 60s style clothing.

"Let go of my arm!" I snapped, slowing down. I yanked my arm from Lottie's grip.

"What? You wanted to stay in there and listen to more sex noises?" she exclaimed. People walking by looked at us and I glowered at her.

"Keep quiet!" I hissed. "No! Who would?"

"I don't know, you apparently..." Lottie muttered.

"Lottie!"

Lottie smirked. "Kidding," she said when realizing how offended and embarrassed I was. "You know I love you."

"You know, I _used _to love you," I responded bitterly.

Lottie sighed. "Well... at least we know we're in Tulsa..."

"Yeah... in the 60s..."

"Janie, you can't be serious."

"What? Thinking that we're in the world of the _Outsiders? _I can tell you one thing - I _am_ thinking that! Look around us, Lottie! There's the movie house from the beginning of the book!" I pointed to it. I pointed farther down the road. "And the drive-in!" I pointed to the park, a little ways off. "And there's the park! It's all here!"

"Yeah? So where are the characters?"

Her question made me pause. Where _were _they? I shrugged. "Somewhere."

"Uh huh,"

"Lottie!" I sighed. "You gotta believe me - I'm certain that this is the _Outsiders_ world. I promise."

Lottie groaned. "Fine, I believe you. Can we just find somewhere to get some food? I'm starved!"

"That's your fault. Every time I stopped reading aloud and wanted to get some food, you kept yelling at me to read the book..." my voice trailed off. Maybe Lottie was right. Maybe this all was a dream. I felt slightly upset about the thought, but didn't let it get to me.

"Well, let's go adventuring!" Lottie exclaimed, taking off all of a sudden. She ran awkwardly, and I could tell she was as scared and nervous as heck - she usually does stupid things when she's scared.

"Wait! Lottie!" I exclaimed, chasing after her.

Of all the people I had to be stuck with in Tulsa, it had to be her.


	2. Chapter 2

Janie's POV

"So, how are we gonna get out of here?"

Lottie shrugged. "I don't know, but I wanna meet those cute characters you always talk about - Johnny, Ponyboy... hmm?" Lottie raised an eyebrow, laughing at me.

I narrowed my eyes at her, folding my arms across my chest again. "Haha, very funny," I said sarcastically. I looked around, silently hoping that they would be there. I bit my lip. But it couldn't be possible that we were transported to the actual book. Maybe we were just transported back to the 60s. Or this was a stupid dream and Lottie and I would wake up, not knowing what the heck happened.

"I wonder if we really are in the _Outsiders," _Lottie said, thinking aloud. I looked at her as we continued walking around. She had finally stopped running around like a maniac."It would be so cool, wouldn't it? I've always wanted to be transported into some sort of book. But why the _Outsiders?_Why couldn't it have been _Mortal Instruments?" _Lottie sighed, trying to look upset.

I rolled my eyes at her. "I would have preferred _Harry Potter, _thank you very much," I snapped. "Maybe it's just more realistic to get transported here because, well, I don't know, there isn't anything magical? It's just going back in time?"

Lottie groaned. "But I wanna-"

"Nobody cares," I laughed, nudging her. We were in the town now. I spotted the movie house, and a little farther down the drive-in.

"Fine then, let's go find your Johnny Cade then," Lottie smirked.

I glowered at her. "Shut up! Ixnay on the on the Johnny Cadenay, okay?" I snapped. "Someone who knows him could obviously find out what you're talking about!"

Lottie rolled her eyes. "Sorry, sorry."

"Mhmm."

"C'mon, Janie! It's the 1960s! Let's have some fun!"

"Lottie, we're still 14."

"Technically, _I'm _15. You're still 14."

"Lottie, it's in the middle of August. Your birthday isn't until February. You're still 14."

"Can't we just pretend that I'm 15?"

I gave her a look. "No!"

Lottie pouted at me. "Fine! You're no fun," she said again. We kept walking. I spotted a group of people walking and instantly recognized them. Dally, Ponyboy, and Johnny. I stopped walking, my heart skipping a beat.

_Oh my god..._

I hadn't realized how long I was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at them like an idiot, until Lottie waved a hand in front of my face, slapping my cheek. "Hello? Earth to Janie!"

I shook my head, glaring at her. "What the heck?" I shouted at her. "You didn't have to slap my cheek!"

Lottie shrugged. "That's what you get for not saying I was 15..."

"You're not 15, Lottie!"

Lottie groaned. "But it's the 1960s! Technically, we're still not born yet!"

I sighed. I didn't really have a comeback for that. She was right. The 60s was basically the time of my dad. The 70s was more of the time of my mother sort of. I shook my head. I wasn't going to let that get in the way of meeting my favorite characters though!

"Well, we know that this _is _in the _Outsiders," _I said. "So let's go meet the characters!"

Lottie groaned, running after me as I booked it. Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy had disappeared and I wasn't going to lose them. I stopped running once we reached the drive-in. The sun was beginning to set and it looked like that a movie was starting. I shivered. It was getting cold. I pulled the leather jacket over my shoulders. It was a little big on me, but it was comfortable and warm.

"No fair, what if _I _wanted the jacket," Lottie complained as we headed towards the teller. Cars were driving up and distracting him. When a blue mustang was parked near and began arguing about the price, Lottie and I quickly sneaked in. "What if we get caught?" she asked as we headed to the stands where they let people who didn't have a car sit and watch the movie.

"We won't, if you shut up!" I snapped. The movie was about to start and the smell of popcorn and coke was tempting. Well, not the coke. I hated soda. But Lottie began whining, saying she was thirsty and hungry. "If we had money, I'd gladly get something," I told her as we found some empty seats. The sky was getting darker, and on the screen the movie began playing.

I leaned back in the chair, stuffing my hands in the pockets of the jacket. In the right pocket, my right hand felt something. My brow furrowed, and I quickly pulled out the object. It was my book. But instead of it saying _The Outsiders, _it said _Gone With the Wind. _

I groaned. Just great. But it wasn't like I needed the book. I practically knew the _Outsiders _story inside and out. I had watched the movie five times and read the book twice. Maybe I could even change what happens. I couldn't stop bawling when Johnny and Dallas died. Maybe I could change that. Maybe Lottie and I could both change that.

Lottie and I were silent as the movie continued playing. It was _Gone With the Wind, _the 1960s version. I had seen the earlier sequel made in 2009, but never the first one. And besides, I had heard the 60s version was the best.

Two girls took the two empty seats next to me. I looked at them, and had to stop myself from staring. It was Cherry and Marcia. I looked away, returning my gaze back to the movie. I had to stop myself from hyperventilating. Of course, any girl would _freak out _if they found out that they were in one of their favorite movie/book.

They looked exactly how they did from the movie, which was kind of surprising since the movie was made in the 80s. I bit my lip, then nudged Lottie. She looked at me, and I made this head movement to show Marcia and Cherry. Lottie bit her lip, looking at me, confusion lighting in her blue eyes.

I sighed. I forgot. She hasn't read the _Outsiders. _

I would've said "_they're from the Outsiders" _but Marcia was sitting right next to me and that would have been awkward. Just on cue, during the first half of the movie, I could hear Dally, Ponyboy, and Johnny come. They took the seats behind us, and I tried not to fidget as I heard Ponyboy say something from above me.

_Oh my freaking God this is not happening..._

Just as I had predicted, Dally was flirting with Cherry. He wouldn't stop. I waited for Johnny to say something, but he never did. Cherry was beginning to get pissed, but I could tell she was scared too. I looked around. Other people were beginning to notice and were yelling at Dally to take a seat and shut up. He wasn't listening, and kept harassing Cherry.

"Leave her alone, Dal," Johnny finally said, getting up. I looked at him. His gaze flickered towards me, and our eyes locked. I tried to stop myself from blushing, and I looked away quickly. Lottie nudged me, and I turned my attention back to Dallas.

"What did you say?" Dally asked.

"I... I said leave her alone," Johnny said, his voice weaker.

Dally looked shocked, then his stern face reappeared. "What did you say to me, you little shit?" he snapped. Johnny recoiled at his harsh words, and I stood up.

"He said leave her alone! Are you deaf or something?" I snapped, standing up.

"What are you doing?" Lottie hissed in my ear, tugging on my arm, standing up as well. I shouldered her arm off, glaring at Dally.

Dallas only returned my glare with a smirk. "Who are you?" he asked. "If you weren't so pretty I'd have to teach you a lesson."

"What's it to ya?" I asked. "Leave her alone. Come back when you've learned some manners and decency."

"How about no?" Dally smirked. He turned his attention back to Cherry.

"Dal, leave her alone," Ponyboy finally said. Lottie and I looked at him. I bit my lip, waiting to see how this scene would unfold. Dally looked at Ponyboy, then at Johnny, and sauntered off. Just like that. He was gone.

"Thanks," Cherry said, looking at Ponyboy, Johnny, and then to me. "I'm Sherri, but my friends call me Cherry because of my hair."

"I'm Jane, but my friends call me Janie because Jane is too formal to them, apparently," I grinned.

"I'm Marcia," Marcia introduced herself.

"Lottie," Lottie introduced.

Cherry turned her attention to Ponyboy and Johnny. "Why don't you two come sit with us?"

Ponyboy shook his head. "Oh, no-"

"Yeah, you could protect us," Marcia giggled.

I saw Ponyboy and Johnny exchange a glance, then they climbed down the seats. Ponyboy took the empty seat next to Cherry, and Johnny took the empty seat between Marcia and I. I was kinda glad he did. Not that I wouldn't mind sitting next to Ponyboy, it was just... Johnny was my book crush.

I leaned back in the chair, listening to Cherry's conversation unfold. "So who are you guys?"

"Ponyboy Curtis - and it says so on my birth certificate," Ponyboy said.

"I like that," I said before Cherry could say anything. Everyone turned to look at me. I felt sort of sheepish from all the stares, but I continued, "It's original. I like original."

Ponyboy grinned. "My dad was an original person."

I looked at Johnny. "And you are?" I asked. _Like I need to know..._

"Oh... Johnny," he introduced himself quickly. "Johnny Cade."

I grinned. I held out my hand. It was usual habit I did whenever I introduced myself full on. "Janie Lawrence," I said. Johnny looked at my hand, then hesitantly shook it.

He didn't really pay attention to me after that. I guess I couldn't blame him though. He was the anti-social one who wasn't very good at making new friends. He was quiet too, and didn't really know how to start a conversation. He also was jumpy ever since he got jumped by those Socs who beat him up and gave him that jagged scar on his left cheek.

We watched the rest of the movie in silence. Marcia striked up the conversation again when she asked, "How old are y'all?"

"Sixteen," Johnny replied.

"Fourteen," Ponyboy replied.

"Really? I thought you were both four-"

"Sixteen," Cherry cut her friend off, giving a small smile at Johnny. Johnny grinned. I gave a small smile myself. Johnny was shorter for his age, and he was always mistaken for fourteen or fifteen because of his appearance - how he looked like a small, dark puppy that had been kicked around too many times. She leaned forward to look at Lottie and myself. "How about you gals?"

"We're both fourteen," I answered.

Cherry grinned. "I haven't seen you two around here before... you new?"

Lottie nodded. "We just got in... but..." her voice trailed off. I kept my mouth shut. We couldn't say we were visiting cousins, because that was a lie. And we didn't have a place to stay either. What if they saw us, sleeping in the streets and find out we lied? Then they would find out we're really from Utah, in 2013.

"Where are ya from?" Marcia asked.

"Utah," I answered before Lottie could make something up.

"Whoa," Cherry said. "That's pretty far from here."

I shrugged. "We like to travel."

"You're by yourselves?"

I nodded. "Yeah... My mother abandoned us when we got here... I haven't seen her around. We were looking for her all day then found out we had spare cash and decided to go to the drive-in... and here we are."

Cherry nodded, giving us a sad smile. "I'm sorry, that's terrible. Is this your first time at a drive-in?"

I nodded. At least _that _wasn't a lie. They didn't have drive-ins at Utah... at least any that I have been to.

"How are you liking Tulsa?"

"It's fine," Lottie answered. "It's kind of hard getting used to all of the accents though."

Marcia laughed. "That's Oklahoma for ya."

"Utah people have accents?" Ponyboy asked.

I nodded. "We have the Utahn accent - mountain and kindergarten. And cotton. We link the t's more than we should."

Ponyboy nodded. "That's pretty cool. Way better than Oklahoman accent."

I shrugged. "Accents are accents."

"I want an Irish accent..." Lottie sighed. I looked at her and laughed.

"Really? I want to be British," I mocked the British accent when saying 'British'. When the others laughed I grinned. I loved when I make people laugh. I even made Johnny laugh. He gave a small smile and a small laugh was just barely audible. It made me grin even more.

"You girls have a place to stay?" Marcia asked.

I shook my head. "Nah... but we could probably stay a motel or something." The lies pierced me. _Liar. _ I shook my head, shrugging and taking a deep breath. "We'll be fine though."

"That's a shame. If we had room I'd invite you to stay with me," Cherry said.

I smiled. "That's very kind of you to offer."

The conversation died out after that. I waited for Two-Bit to come to scare the daylights out of Johnny and Ponyboy. He didn't come yet. I sighed, getting tired, and paying more attention to the movie. I wasn't really though - just staring at the screen. _Gone With the Wind _sort of bored me...

"Okay, greasers, you've had it." A deep voice suddenly said. I felt Johnny jump and I turned around to see Two-Bit. He was laughing hysterically.

"Glory, Two-Bit, scare us to death!" Ponyboy gasped. Two-Bit continued laughing, then sat down next to Lottie.

I looked at Johnny. He was as white as a ghost and his eyes were shut. He was taking deep breaths.

"Sorry, kid, forgot," Two-Bit said, leaning forward. Johnny opened his eyes, looking at him and giving him a weak smile.

"S'all right..." he murmured.

"Who're these dolls?" Two-Bit asked, looking at Lottie, myself, Marcia, and Cherry. "Your great-aunts?"

"Great-grandmothers, twice removed," I said smoothly before Cherry could. I could tell she was shocked that I said the same thing she was gonna say.

"Shoot, you're ninety-six if you're a day," Two-Bit said. I had no clue what in Sam's heck that meant. Luckily, Marcia continued.

"I'm a night," she said brightly.

Two-Bit stared at her admiringly. "Brother, you're a sharp one. Where'd you four ever get to be picked up by a couple of greasy hoods like Pony and Johnny?"

"We really picked them up," Marcia said. "We're really Arabian slave traders and we're thinking about shanghaiing them. They're worth ten camels apiece I think."

"Five," Two-Bit disagreed. "They don't talk Arabian, I don't think. Say somethin' in Arabian, Johnnycake!"

"Aw, cut it out!" Johnny broke in. "Dally was bothering them and when he left they wanted us to sit with them to protect them. Against wisecracking greasers like you, probably."

I gave a small smile. I don't know why, but that part always cracked me up.

Two-Bit grinned. Johnny usually wasn't sassy like that, so it was a rare occasion. They continued talking about how Dally would probably have a little fight with Tim Shepherd because he had slashed the tires on his car. I sighed, leaning back in my chair. Lottie's stomach growled loudly, followed by mine. Cherry and Marcia laughed, along with the others.

"Lottie!" I snapped. "How unladylike!"

Lottie glowered at me. "Yours growled too! And it's not unladylike!" She reached forward and took one of the cokes Dally had left. She drank out of it, then swallowed. "Watch me be unladylike!" She waited for a second, then belched.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!" Two-Bit clapped as the others laughed. We laughed even more when someone hissed "shh" at us.

"Aw c'mon, you can do better than that," I laughed, taking the coke from her. I hated drinking soda because every time I drank it and burped, I could always feel the bubbles rush to my nose and it was just horrible. But I always burped louder than the next person. It was a lovely way to be unladylike. I took a sip, swallowed, waited, and then belched louder than Lottie, making everyone laugh.

We sure sounded drunk, but at least it was drunk on just plain having fun. Getting up, Cherry asked Ponyboy if he'd like to go get some popcorn with her. He nodded, turning to the rest of us. "Y'all want some?" he asked.

I nodded, along with Lottie. Ponyboy laughed. "Of course, we're obviously getting you two some," he said. I could feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment as Lottie said, "You better!"

"Yeah, I want some, get Johnny some too," Two-Bit was saying. He got up, taking out his wallet and a few dollars, walking over to Ponyboy and Cherry. "I'll pay," he said. Ponyboy and Cherry nodded, walking away to the concession stand.

Two-Bit took the empty seat next to Marcia, and they began talking about something only they understood. I sighed again, trying not to yawn. I was really tired. I glanced back down at the leather jacket. Maybe as long as we had this jacket, we'd be able to stay here. So if the jacket was lost, or destroyed, we would no longer be here.

_That's stupid, _I thought. _There's no way that this jacket teleported us here. Maybe I'm just imagining things. And this is all a coma dream or something, and I'll wake up in the hospital to see that everything was destroyed in the earthquake. This is all just an incredible dream... and frankly, I don't wanna wake up from it. _

Cherry and Ponyboy return, handing everyone the popcorn. I eat it, slower than I thought I would while Lottie digs into it like it's the last food she will ever eat. And it just might be. Which is probably why I'm savoring it. We had no money, and I wasn't gonna risk selling the jacket. We'd probably become street beggars and then get thrown in jail and probably would have to cough up the jacket and then we'd be sent back to our own time. And this lovely occurrence would just be another fangirl dream.

"Janie?" Lottie waved a hand in my face. I shook my head. The movie was over and everyone was leaving. Well, except for Two-Bit, Johnny, Ponyboy, Marcia, and Cherry. They were waiting for me, along with Lottie.

"Ah, sorry!" I exclaimed, getting up, still carrying the popcorn. Lottie had eaten all of hers, and found it funny to steal some of mine. "Hey!" I shouted as we walked along the streets. "Get your grubby fingers off of my popcorn, loser!"

"But it's so good!" Lottie whined, reaching her hand into the small bag. I slapped her hand away and she retaliated by slapping my shoulder. I thanked the lord that she didn't boob punch me, like she usually would.

We kept walking, Two-Bit in the lead with Marcia, Ponyboy and Cherry, and then lastly myself, Lottie, and Johnny. Two-Bit and Marcia were still talking, along with Ponyboy and Cherry. I was able to listen in on how he was talking about Soda's horse and all. I looked over my shoulder and saw a blue Mustang driving near. I bit my lip, looking back to the front. I must've acted suspicious though, because Johnny and Lottie looked at me.

"What's wrong?" Lottie asked, looking back also.

"Oh god, Cherry, look what's coming," Marcia said. She must've seen it too. Bob and Randy. And other drunk Socs. I bit my lip. I didn't know how I could stop this. They were drunk, so they would probably beat me up, and to be honest, I didn't want to be beaten up.

"Just keep walking, maybe they haven't seen us yet," Cherry was saying. We kept walking, slower this time, and more alert. The mustang revved up the speed, and then slowed down near us.

"Cherry? What are ya doing?" Bob called from the car. He slammed the door shut and headed towards his girlfriend.

I looked at Johnny. He was staring at Bob's hand. I bit my lip. Bob was the Soc who had beaten him horribly. I noticed the rings that shimmered in the moonlight on his fingers. Johnny's eyes flickered towards the blue mustang, and then at Bob again. He looked really jumpy, and completely terrified. I couldn't blame him. The whole beating must've scarred him. Mentally and physically. The jagged scar from his temple to cheekbone was still pretty visible.

"I've told you this before Bob, and I mean it!" Cherry snapped. "I'm _never _going out with you when you're drinking!"

"Aw c'mon, it was just a little," Bob said.

"A little? You call reeling and passing out in the streets a little? I'm never going out with you when you're drinking Bob, and I mean it!"

"So you're gonna hang with these greasy hoods? Look at 'em!"

"Shut up!" I snapped. Everyone looked at me and I instantly regretted it. But I felt insulted. It was like Bob was saying that Lottie and myself were greasers. I wouldn't mind being one, but I would prefer if he were decent about it. "Can't you just leave us alone?"

"What did you say to me?" Bob demanded, walking forward. I heard a bottle smash and saw Two-Bit toss it to Ponyboy, flipping out his switchblade.

"Touch her and you're dead," Two-Bit said darkly.

Bob smirked. "If it's a fight you want-"

"No!" Cherry shouted. "We'll go with you!"

"What? We can take 'em!" Two-Bit snapped.

"I hate fights! I hate them!" Cherry snapped. She then approached Ponyboy, saying a few words to him, before heading off with Marcia and Bob and Randy. "Don't touch me," she spat, when Bob tried to put his arm around her.

They then got in the mustang and drove off. I took a deep breath. That was a close one. _I should probably stop intervening, _I think. _I'm messing up the script._

But maybe that's why we're here. To change the way of the story. Two-Bit looked at Lottie and I. "You girls need a ride?" he asked. Lottie and I shook our heads.

"We don't have a place to stay," Lottie said.

"You can stay with me," Ponyboy said. "I'm sure Darry and Soda won't mind."

I looked at Lottie and nodded. "Yeah, let's go now," I said. If we leave now, then we won't have to go to the lot. I looked at Johnny. "You can come with us too," I added.

Johnny shook his head. "Nah, I'll just be crowding in. I can sleep in the lot."

"I'll join you," Ponyboy offered. "It must be lonely."

_No, no, no, no! _I thought. "Lottie and I will too," I said. Ponyboy and Johnny looked at us.

"You don't have to do that," Johnny said. "The lot is cold and uncomfortable."

"I'm not gonna stay at a place where I don't know anybody," I replied, trying to sound as stubborn as possible. I even cocked my hip and folded my arms across my chest. Two-Bit sighed.

"You better let her. I don't think she'll back down," he said. "I'm heading off. See y'all later!" he called, running off into the distance.

We continue walking to the lot. Maybe I can't prevent Johnny and Ponyboy running into the Socs, but the least I could do was try and make sure nobody dies. Even if Bob deserved it... Dally and Johnny didn't deserve to die.

I sighed, my hands in the pocket of the jacket. Lottie was shivering beside me, and she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me. I groaned. "Lottie, I can't walk with you holding on to me like that, I'm gonna trip."

Lottie whined, "But I'm cold! And you're the one who took the jacket!"

"Lottie, let go of me!"

"But you like hugs!"

"Lottie, we look gay doing this - please let go of me."

"But I'm cold."

"Lottie!"

"Fine, fine," Lottie huffed irritably, getting the memo. Ponyboy and Johnny looked back at us, and laughed. I gave them an embarrassed grin. Johnny should smile more often - he had a great smile, I realized.

We neared the lot and laid down. Johnny started a fire and we got in an order - Ponyboy, Lottie, myself, and Johnny. I sighed, looking up at the stars. The crickets were chirping, and I prayed that no mosquitoes would come and bite me. I got horrible allergic reactions to bug bites.

The last thing I remembered was leaning my head against Johnny's shoulder and my eyes fluttering shut as I looked up at the stars.


	3. Chapter 3

Janie's POV

Well, we were in quite the pickle.

I glanced over at Lottie talking with Ponyboy and Johnny, sitting on the bench in the church. I groaned. I couldn't believe I wasn't able to really solve anything. Johnny and Ponyboy still ended up running away. The only thing I could prevent was the church from burning down.

I bit my lip. I hated remembering Bob's death, but it was all I could think about at the moment.

Ponyboy had woken us all up, really upset. Lottie and I immediately knew what had happened (well Lottie needed some hints and reminders but she caught on). I wasn't able to get Ponyboy to see some sense in all of this - he wouldn't listen to a word I had to say, and said I didn't know anything. He then dragged Johnny and the rest of us off and into the night. Right to the park. With the fountain.

"_Ponyboy!" I had snapped for about the hundredth time, glowering at him. Ponyboy looked back at me. _

"_What?" _

"_Stop bitching about this like a little girl and see some common sense! Darry only slapped you because he thought you weren't listening! He was worried sick about you!" _

_Ponyboy glowered at me. It seemed like everything I was saying was making his anger skyrocket even more. "Yeah, well, you don't know nothing, Jane! It's not like you have any family anyways - your mother abandoned you and Lottie when you got here, so you can just keep quiet!" _

_Even though it wasn't true, his voice was harsh and it still felt like a slap across the face. I stood there, staring at him, shocked. But I got over it, remembering that Ponyboy usually said dumb things when he was pissed. But it still felt offensive. I _did _have a family, thank you very much! _

"_Ponyboy," Lottie started, her voice slow and calm at first. I smiled. Lottie usually talked like that when she was about to say something smart and reasonable. I could count on her to fix this. _

_Or make it worse. _

_Lottie had brought up the whole subject that Ponyboy was a teenager, so obviously he was overreacting and he should just hike up his skirt and go back home. That just worsened the whole thing, so he completely retaliated._

"_Why do I even bother?" he exclaimed, glowering at us. "You're just a bunch of stupid girls!" He then stormed off and climbed the monkey bars. Leaving Lottie and I awkwardly standing there with Johnny._

_Johnny looked at us. "Look, Ponyboy doesn't mean anything, he really doesn't. He's just angry... and upset." _

"_It's fine," I shouldered the topic off quickly. "You should go talk to him. Help him cool off," I nodded towards the upset Ponyboy sitting on the monkey bars, looking really detached from the real world. _

_Johnny nodded, giving us an awkward and grateful smile as he went over to Ponyboy. He climbed up the monkey bars as well and offered Ponyboy a cigarette, which he gladly took and they began to smoke, blowing out in large puffs. _

_I rolled my eyes at Lottie. "Boys." _

_Lottie giggled. "Bros before hoes," _

_I shook my head. "Bows before bros," I smiled._

_Lottie shook her head. "Ew, bows are so last season." _

_I huffed, folding my arms. "It's an expression, Lottie. It doesn't need to be 'in season'." _

_Lottie shrugged. We made eye contact, then burst out laughing. I don't know. It's just how lovely our friendship is. I've known her since the fifth grade, and since then I've been able to tell her everything and anything. She honestly is my only friend to be honest. _

_But maybe I could change all of that in this world. _

_While Lottie and I began talking about useless things (like our _Outsiders crushes - _mine on Johnny and hers on Dallas) the sound of shouts immediately alerted me to our place. _

_I had completely forgotten about Bob and the others._

_Lottie and I immediately ran towards the monkey bars and saw that Ponyboy and Johnny weren't there anymore. Their cigarettes were on the ground, and I saw farther up ahead Bob and the others were dunking Ponyboy in the fountain. Randy and another Soc had kicked Johnny to the ground, to make sure he couldn't help Ponyboy. I clenched my fists, getting pissed. I didn't really want this to happen. _

"_Leave him alone!" I shouted, running at Bob. I left Lottie to help Johnny and get rid of Randy and the other Soc as I ran towards the main scene. I punched one Soc square in the face, while the others turned to look at me. _

_Bob's eyes widened slightly, but he smirked. Must've been the liquor taken a hold of him. He had no sense of the real world right now. "Continue dunking the kid, David," he nodded, letting go of Ponyboy's head. I heard Ponyboy take a deep breath, only to have his head dunked back into the fountain._

_Bob approached me threateningly. "What's a pretty broad like you hanging with greasers like them?" He had a smile that was forming slowly. I stepped backwards, slightly terrified._

_Okay, not slightly._

_Maybe, _totally _terrified? _

"_Leave us alone," I said bravely. "What's the point you have here? So what? Greasers vs. Socs, I get it. You both have a huge rivalry. But why attack now? It's so unfair!" _

"_Like you're one to talk," Bob snapped. "Punching my buddy right in the face... You probably broke his nose!" _

"_Good!" I snapped back._

_That was the wrong thing to say. Instantly, Bob slapped me. The smack was loud and echoed throughout the silent darkness of the park. My hand instinctively went to where he had slapped me, my eyes wide. I glared at him, about to say something until he attacked me. He slapped my other cheek, so both of them were burning. I tried fighting back, but it didn't work. He just laughed, shoving me to the ground like I was nothing. Which I was probably. I can't fight back - I hate fighting, and I don't know how. Bob laughed, kicking me around. At first it was lightly, but then he kicked me hard. Right in my left rib cage to. I screamed as his shoe came in contact with my ribs and it felt like they were shattering. Bob didn't care though - the alcohol clouded his judgement. I could hear his laughter as he continued kicking me around. He stopped, and I took a deep breath. I couldn't feel my left side near my rib cage. _

_I was lifted the ground, Bob holding on to me by my collar. He smirked, his eyes locking with mine._

"_You're gonna regret you ever came to Tulsa, greaser-wannabe." _

_Then my vision was clouded as he punched me in the face. My vision was spotted with black and red as I fell to the ground. The last thing I remember seeing was Bob falling to the ground and Johnny standing there, switchblade in hand as he watched Bob fall. _

After that we immediately went to Dally (after Ponyboy and Johnny and recovered from the fact that they had murdered somebody) and Dally told us what to do. Saying that we had to head to Windrixville and blah blah blah. Lottie and I already knew half of the story. But I didn't bother to tell them about the soreness near my rib cage. It had stopped throbbing for the half week we were in the church, but the pain was starting up again. I also couldn't feel anything from my chest on my left side, down. It was terrible. My ribs were probably cracked, or I was bruised. Jumping out of the train made it worse, but I didn't tell anybody about it. We were in enough trouble as it was. I didn't want to add to it, and become a burden.

During this time, though, Lottie seemed to be getting along with Ponyboy and Johnny. They liked her, it seemed. Especially Johnny. I couldn't help but feel jealous - Johnny was my favorite. And Lottie wouldn't stop flirting with Dally when she first met him. I hated it. All of my favorite characters adored her, whilst they completely ignored me.

It was like living in hell.

My heaven had become hell. And the numbness in my left side just added to the pain. I sighed. "I'm heading out," I stated. Not like they cared, though. Their response was laughter to what they were talking about - something only they understood. I sighed, and headed out. I was greeted by the warmth of the sunlight. It was the seventh day of the week. So we were running low on food, and things to do.

And I was practically losing my best friend to my book crush and person who I wanted to be my best guy friend.

Perfect.

I groaned, sitting down on the grass. Jay Mountain sure was pretty, though. It had a nice overlook of a forest. And the sun was setting, so the sky was a pretty orange-red color. It was gorgeous. I still couldn't feel my left side, and it was getting pretty painful. It was getting harder to sit down and stand up without wincing. Soon enough they would notice something was up. At night time I was able to check what had happened - there was an ugly bruise forming, but since it was dark I had no clue what color it was. I didn't want to find out, either.

Someone brushed against me and I half-hoped it would be Johnny or Lottie, but it was Ponyboy. He grinned at me, and said "hey".

"Hi," I said back, trying not to show my disappointment.

He noticed.

"Are you okay?"

I sighed. "Okay as I'll ever be," I responded. My voice sounded dull and pained. It was obvious that something was bothering me, but I honestly didn't want to talk about it. I wasn't good at talking about my problems with other people. I only did it with Lottie, but Lottie was too busy living and amazing life here, whilst I was being overshadowed.

"I'm sorry," Ponyboy began. I looked at him. He wasn't looking at me - he was staring at the sunset. "For calling you stupid earlier... before... the Socs came. I didn't mean it - really. I was just, upset. At everything. At Darry. At myself... Just everything."

I gave a small smile, looking back at the sunset. "It's fine."

"Y'know, Lottie's real worried about you."

I snorted.

"Really! She is."

"Well, if she's so worried why doesn't she talk to me?"

"She doesn't know what you'll say."

I don't know why, but that pissed me off. But I can assume why. Maybe because she had confided everything to Ponyboy and Johnny, telling them everything, instead of talking to me - her best friend? I didn't care if I was overreacting, it just pissed me off. I stood up, about to storm off angrily, but stopped when my left side screamed with pain. I clutched it and winced. Ponyboy stood up immediately. My eyes met his hazel as he looked at me with concern.

"Are you _sure _you're okay?"

"I'm _fine," _I snapped for the final time. I stormed off back to the church. "Just leave me alone."

* * *

Lottie still wasn't talking to me. She kept giving me looks though, like she wanted to. I decided to ignore her though. I didn't feel like talking to her yet. I was upset. And jealous. But mostly upset. I was back outside - it was the day after I had my talk with Ponyboy and I was laying on the church floor. It was dusty and uncomfortable, but I was so tired I didn't care. Right when I was about to find my way to pure bliss and quiet tranquility, Dally stormed in.

"Hey, wake up Sleeping Beauty and Snow White!" he exclaimed, shaking Ponyboy, and then coming over to me, blowing in my face. I opened my eyes, glaring at him. He didn't notice though, because he was greeting Lottie and Johnny. I shook my head, standing up.

"Dal!" Ponyboy greeted him. "Is it safe for us to go back?"

"Hey, listen to this... So the fuzz call me in - no big shocker here, they thought I had done it because of my "record" - and then I let it slip that I heard you were headed for Texas. Get that? _Texas! _Ha! I'm a genius," Dally grinned.

"And they believed it?" I asked.

Dally nodded. "Yes ma'am, they sure did. They already sent a patrol out to Texas to find you guys! Nice hair by the way, Pony," he ruffled Ponyboy's hair, and Ponyboy fixed it, looking sheepish. He still hadn't gotten used to his new hair - he and Johnny had cut it and Ponyboy had to bleach his.

"Did my parents ask about me?" Johnny asked. I looked at the ground. I knew what the answer was; no. It was painful to hear about Johnny and his family - his father hated him and beat him up and his mother ignored him, sometimes beating him up too. He had a horrible life. Hardly anything good happened. And he rarely smiled.

But he seemed to smile a lot around Lottie.

Whoa, that almost sounded bitter.

It was meant to be bitter.

I was obviously, and unconditionally jealous. And in love with Johnny.

Kind of sucks.

As Ponyboy read the letter from Sodapop, Lottie finally walked over to me. She nudged me, and gave me a small smile. I looked at her, and her blue eyes met mine. "Hey," she started. "Are you okay?"

I sighed. She had nudged my left side. The pain was back again. I guess it never was gone. I just chose to ignore it, but something would always bring me back to concentrating on it again. I looked back at Lottie, and she gave me a sad smile.

"I'm sorry."

I had wanted to hear her say those words, but hearing them now... it just didn't serve justice. I guess I was still disappointed.

And jealous.

"It's fine."

"I love you. You are my best friend, you know that?"

I looked at her and nodded. "I know."

"You know I don't like them," she nodded her head to Ponyboy and Johnny. They were busy talking with Dally. Lottie lowered her voice, just in case, so only I could hear. "I like Dallas."

I sighed. "I know. But that doesn't change the fact that they like you more than me."

Lottie frowned, her eyebrows furrowing, but then they relaxed, a beautiful smile forming on her face. Her blue eyes flashed. "I see. Now I know. You're jealous."

I huffed. "So what."

Lottie gave another sad smile. "Maybe you should try talking to them. You have been really quiet this whole week we've been here."

"Not like they'll like somebody like me. I'm loud. And awkward."

"But you're funny and nice."

"And I'm annoying and clingy."

"But you're smart and sarcastic."

I rolled my eyes. "You're the pretty one here."

Lottie sighed. "Oh, honey, you've got to be kidding. I'm just blonde, with blue eyes. You have gorgeous brown hair which I envy, and you have beautiful skin."

"So do you."

"I know," Lottie grinned. I returned her grin. That was the Lottie I knew (and frankly) loved. She hugged me. I hugged back. "I'm really sorry for ignoring you. It's just... it's not everyday you become friends with characters from a book you just read."

I shrugged, letting go. "It's fine. I understand."

Lottie smirked, then nodded towards Johnny. Dallas was talking about taking us to Dairy Queen since we haven't had anything to eat, really. "I could help hook you up with him," she raised her eyebrows suggestively. I could feel my cheeks heat up and I hit her.

"I told you! Ixnay on the-"

"I know, I know! But I promise - I'll be subtle about it," Lottie laughed, along with myself.

Dally glanced back at us. "You girls wanna join us?" he asked. "Could use some lady company,"

Lottie grinned. "Sure," she said. She grabbed me by the arm. "Come on!"

She tugged and pulled.

It was my left arm. Searing pain rushed through me and I moaned, pulling away from her. The others looked at me, and concern washed over Lottie in waves. "Are you okay?" she demanded.

"I'm fine," I muttered. I didn't convince the others, but they didn't say anything as we got in Dally's car and drove off.

When we were in the line for Dairy Queen I finally remembered something.

The fire. I had forgotten about the matches and cigarettes that the little kids get into that start the fire.

The fire that Johnny died in.

And the fire that had also killed Dallas in a way as well.

How was I going to stop that?


	4. Chapter 4

**/hey guys, don't forget to leave a review and all. it'd really mean a lot./**

Janie's POV

Everybody was wondering why I was so insistent on heading back to the church.

"You were saying just the other day you wanted to get out," Ponyboy said, eating his fifth hamburger. I sighed.

"Yes, I know... but I realized... I forgot something."

"Forgot what?" Johnny asked.

"My memories."

I literally smacked myself in the face. What kind of a response was that? I sighed. "Okay, listen, I know that this is gonna sound stupid... but... I really think we should head back to the church."

"Why?" Dallas asked. "I could get you guys to stay somewhere else - hey! Where did you and Lottie say you're from? Utah? Maybe I could take you guys there... I don't think the murder story would-"

"I'm gonna turn myself in," Johnny said. Everyone stared at him. Well, except for Lottie and I. We pretended to stare. I bit my lip. Dallas would react in an angry rampage and drive us back to the church because he doesn't want Johnny arrested. And then we'll find the church in flames. And the poor kids on the field trip trapped. And then Johnny will get hit by falling debris...

Wait. Johnny can't get hit if I get in the way.

Everything went as planned. Dallas was upset with Johnny's decision, and angrily drove us back to the church. We were greeted by smoke, and the screams of little kids inside. Immediately, Johnny and Ponyboy jumped out of the car, followed by myself. I looked back to see that Dallas had grabbed a hold of Lottie, who gave me a terrified look.

She knew what I was going to do.

And hell, I was gonna do it.

This is all a dream anyway. Maybe if I die here, I'll wake up with Lottie to find that we didn't finish our homework and go home to my scowling mother who will force me to finish it or no dinner. This will all just be a dream, and I can only hope and pray I saved Johnny's life and Dallas'. And that their deaths never happened.

But the smoke and the pain in my left side seemed too unbearable to not be real. I coughed, following Ponyboy and Johnny into the flames of the church. I could hear the little kids crying, and my eyes watered from the heat. I coughed again, and then opened the closet door. Two little girls were crying.

"It's okay," I said. "Come on!" I led them along with Ponyboy and Johnny to the door. We lead them out, and they were taken by their teacher and another man - he was fat, and he had tried to stop us. But he was too fat to fit through the opening. I glanced back and saw Johnny. My eyes immediately went to the falling roof above him. I heard a snap, and immediately ran, pushing him out of the way.

"_Janie!" _

I remembered hearing Johnny and Ponyboy shout my name as the hot wood came in contact with my back. I heard a snap and fell to the ground. My vision blurred, then everything went black.

* * *

"How is it that she's still alive?"

"She has 3rd degree burns everywhere and the doctors said that her lungs were weak."

"But her back isn't even broken!"

"It's a miracle."

My eyes opened and I was greeted by a million faces. My vision was still blurry. I blinked, trying to sit up. The nurse immediately stopped me. "No dear," she said in a kind voice. She gave me a smile. "You need to rest."

"What... what happened?" I whispered. My voice was hoarse. Like I haven't used it in years.

"You... you saved Johnny's life," Ponyboy said.

That immediately woke me up. I remembered now. So my plan had worked. I did it. I saved Johnny. And Dallas. I noticed he wasn't there. "Where is he?" I asked.

The gang was silent. Then Darry spoke.

"The judge decided his penalty while you were unconscious."

My heart sunk a little. Johnny still had killed Bob. Bob was still dead. Was Johnny sentenced to life in prison? Or the electric chair? I bit my lip. Now how was I going to get to know him? "Which is?" my voice squeaked slightly, and barely came out as a whisper.

"A week in the cooler," Dally responded.

My eyes widened slightly. Just a week? For murdering Bob?

"Cherry was an alibi," Sodapop said, as if he had read my mind. "She helped us aid in, along with Randy and the other Socs saying that they were drunk, and really would have killed Ponyboy and beat you up completely if Johnny hadn't killed Bob. He was acting on self-defense."

I sighed, leaning back, resting my head on the pillow. So my actions weren't all in vain. That's good.

"The Socs heard about what you did, to save him," Two-Bit put in. "And how you, Ponyboy, Dallas, Johnny, and Lottie had saved the kids from the church. You're all in the papers. You're everywhere."

I groaned. I hated publicity.

"Well, that's an odd answer," Two-Bit laughed. "I'm sure El wouldn't mind it."

"Aw, El would love it. Wanting to show off her mad fighting skills. For a girl that is," Steve added.

I raised an eyebrow. Who was El? I didn't remember her from the books. Maybe she was somebody different. "Who's El?" I asked.

"She's really nice!" Lottie put in. "I met her while you were unconscious! She's an awesome fighter! She could've probably beaten up those Socs if she was with us!"

I scowled. She should've been if she's that great, then. Maybe we wouldn't be in this mess.

Sodapop nodded. "Eleanor Johnson - real sweet girl, but she can be a little bitchy so watch out."

I snorted. "Like I'm not bitchy?"

"Aw, hell no," Two-Bit said. "You almost died for Johnny - no way you're bitchy!"

I groaned, while everyone else laughed. At least they weren't teasing me about Johnny like if I liked him or something. Then that would really get on my nerves.

But then again, maybe they would see how bitchy I really can be.

* * *

The nurse insisted on me staying a few more days in the hospital and the doctor agreed. Of course, everyone came to visit. They shortened the visits to one person each - two at the most. Apparently the first visit caused me to get too "excited" or something, so now they wanted me to rest more.

Doctor people are weird, I don't even know.

I sighed. What I really wanted was the week to be over and for me to be able to see Johnny again. The doctors kept putting ointments on my arms and everywhere, tending to the burns. They still had no clue why I had survived that part of the burning ceiling falling on me.

And honestly, I had no clue myself, either.

They also were able to tend to my cracked ribs, which they thought were caused by the falling ceiling, but I wasn't really keen on saying that I had gotten it when Bob beat me up. That would've sent my new greaser friends into a mayhem. And they seemed to have cleared everything up with the Socs. For now.

I almost felt like cheering the day the nurse said that Lottie, Ponyboy, and the others were here to take me home.

But what was home?

Sudden realization dawned on me. Where had Lottie been staying this whole time while I was in the hospital? At Ponyboy's? He had offered it to us before the whole Bob incident. I really wished we could've convinced them more... maybe then Bob would still be alive.

I shook away the thought as the nurse told me to get in the wheelchair. I sighed. "Do I have to?" I asked.

The nurse nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so. It's policy," she added before I could complain again. I sighed and she gave me a small smile "C'mon, you're getting out of here! You should be excited!" I laughed. I had learned her name was Lacey. She was pretty nice, in her mid 20s or 30s. She wheeled me out to the front where I was greeted in many hugs and kisses. Which I was kind of disgusted by, but I dealt with it. They were kisses on the head, forehead, and cheek so it was no big deal.

As Darry signed a few papers and stuff, Lottie got me caught up on everything else that had happened.

"Apparently Johnny's been behaving well in the cooler, so he's getting out today!" Lottie exclaimed. I grinned. It was perfect timing.

Ponyboy noticed my grin, and grinned as well. "Oh, someone seems excited," he teased. My grin immediately vanished and was replaced with a look of anger. I glowered at him.

"Haha, very funny," I rolled my eyes at him.

"Oh, come on," Lottie sighed. "A blind goose could even tell that you are completely in love-"

"Okay! Let's get going!" Sodapop exclaimed. I silently thanked the lord as I hopped out of the wheelchair and followed the others out of the hospital.

I was so glad to be out of there. I hated hospitals. The others were laughing and talking, all at once trying to update me on their life. I was getting a headache from Sodapop and Steve screaming at each other and fighting over me. But I guess it was okay. I mean, I guess I've always fangirled for this day to come, and it has.

But something about it just didn't seem right.

Maybe I just felt disappointed or something? Like I had expected more out of this? Like I would become BFFs with Ponyboy and Johnny? But it was in reverse. Lottie was living that luxury. Best friends with Ponyboy and Johnny. In love with Dallas. Everyone loves her. I bit my lip, watching as the others began talking all at once. I was just the background.

Yep, still jealous of my best friend.

"I'm going for a walk," I stated. Everyone turned around to look at me - well, Darry, Two-Bit, Steve, and Sodapop that is. Dallas and Ponyboy kept walking ahead with Lottie, talking about something that they only understood.

"I don't think you should go alone," Darry said. He exchanged a look with Sodapop. "Unless someone went with you."

"You just got outta the hospital and you want to go for a walk?" Steve laughed. "That's a first."

I shrugged. I guess I was becoming friends with Darry, Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit. Not like it's a bad thing... it's just not something I would have preferred.

Wow. That sounded rude. To be honest, I really wanted to be friends with them all, but I guess Lottie got the life I wanted... minus loving Dallas, but still. She's best friends with Ponyboy and Johnny, and I would give _anything _to be best friends with them.

"I'll go with her," Two-Bit offered. Darry looked at him, then sighed. He was probably betting that no one would offer and we could head home. Well, "temporary home". As homey as a home can get.

"Fine," Darry responded after what seemed like a year. "Don't be out too long. And if there are Socs... don't start a fight. Jane is probably still weak." I stopped myself from gagging when he said my full name. I hated it when people called me Jane. It was too formal.

"Yes, sir!" Two-Bit shouldered him off quickly. He nodded to me, pointing off towards the distance. "I'll show ya around town - you probably don't know it too well."

I nodded, pretending to play stupid. I knew it well, thanks to the movie and books, but there's always the great opportunity to get showed around. Two-Bit lead the way, and we headed in the opposite direction of the others. We were silent at first, the only noise being heard was Two-Bit whistling. I didn't mind though. I wanted to think, not talk. There was a lot that had happened, and I wanted to think it through.

"Johnny's getting out, today or tomorrow," Two-Bit stopped whistling and began starting the conversation. I didn't look at him and kept my focus to the ground.

"So I've heard," I responded as calmly and coolly as possible.

"Well that's a first," Two-Bit responded. I looked at him and he grinned. "Seeing as you're mighty in love with him-"

"Shut up!" I snapped, getting pissed. I've always hated it when people teased me about crushes. Sure, I wasn't very subtle about them, but it was still completely humiliating and embarrassing. I could feel my whole body heat up with anger, and embarrassment.

Two-Bit's grin shortened to a small smile. "Something's botherin' you."

"Nothing's "botherin'" me," I mimicked his Oklahoman accent. "I'm completely, and utterly, fine!"

"It doesn't sound like it," Two-Bit responded. He added, "I offered to go with you because I could tell something was up. Anything I can do to help?"

I huffed. "Nobody can help," I responded, my voice soft.

"You don't know that 'till somebody tries," Two-Bit responded.

Yeah. That could go along nicely. "_You see, Lottie and I are actually from Utah, 2013. So like, a decade from now somewhat. So basically, you and the others are like the age of my father so it's really weird and we don't know what to do. We can't seem to get back either." _He would think the hospital drove me insane. Which it probably did. I didn't notice I was crying until Two-Bit put a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, stop cryin'," he said.

"I-"

"Don't start the whole "I'm not crying", bit, because I know very well you are," Two-Bit interrupted. He added in a kinder tone, "I knew somethin' was up. Are you _sure _I can't help?"

I shook my head, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "Nobody can help."

"You sure?"

"I'm positive... besides, don't you have something better to do? Like, go talk with Lottie or something - everybody seems to adore her." I shocked myself when I found I almost spat the words. My voice sounded bitter. I hated it. I sounded like a jealous brat. Which I was. But I couldn't stand it. Lottie didn't even know what the _Outsiders _was until I introduced it to her.

Two-Bit smiled. A knowing smile. "I see now," he said. He turned around and began walking again. I followed him.

"See what now?"

"You're jealous."

"I am _not _jealous!"

"Just the fact that you're denying and raisin' your voice proves you are," Two-Bit remarked. I bit my lip, glowering.

He was spot on.

I groaned. "It's just that... Everyone seems to love her. And hate me."

"We don't hate you."

"Sure, you say that now," I huffed irritably. "But compare me to her. Lottie; she's beautiful, intelligent, kind-hearted..."

"Who says you ain't all that too?" Two-Bit asked.

I didn't respond, mostly because I didn't have a retort. Some people at school have said I was pretty, and smart, and nice... But I always saw Lottie higher up than me. I have huge insecurity problems. Lottie on the other hand adores herself, which I admire her for. She doesn't let anybody say something and let it get the best of her. And that's what I truly wanted to be. I wanted to be Lottie. I've always envied her - because there was so much to envy. And my high insecurities just made it worse. All my life I had been bullied. I even forced myself to lose weight during my middle school years, for fear that I would be teased again in my new high school.

"Honestly, don't tell Lottie I said any of this," Two-Bit began again, gaining me out of my thoughts. I looked at him, and he continued, "I like you more than Lottie. Lottie... sure, she's nice, and pretty, and smart. But you're easier to talk to. You speak your feelings. It seems like Lottie's hidin' everything inside, not confiding in us."

I felt my cheeks warm from the compliment, but I wasn't going to give up that easy. "Lottie can say witty things - she has nice eyes. She just knows what to say around people."

"Shoot," Two-Bit grinned. "You too. I don't know what to say to convince you, but you shouldn't look so down on yourself like that. I'm sure the others wouldn't appreciate it. 'Specially Johnny," he added, beginning the teasing again.

I wasn't in the mood. I glared at him. "He hates me," I muttered.

Two-Bit sighed. "Johnny's shy. He doesn't really know how to express himself around others."

"He seemed to be able to express himself mighty fine around Lottie," I snapped. Two-Bit looked shocked at this. He stayed quiet. I huffed irritably.

"Can we head back now?" Without waiting for his response, I turned around and headed off.

Yeah, my heaven really did turn into a hell.


End file.
